for more comprehensive
ongoing reports by Retired Pastor/Teacher James McCutchan - Jmccutchan@aol.com

SECRET DEAL TO GIVE HOLY SITES TO VATICAN

Israeli News Outlets Reporting: As far-fetched as it may
seem to some, many sober-minded news outlets in Israel in the
past week have been reporting the existence of a secret deal
now being negotiated ahead of the Popes visit to Israel
in May. If true, it would be the single biggest advancement of
bible prophecy since May 14, 1948. Interesting side note, the
Popes visit in May will coincide with the 66th anniversary
of Israel becoming a nation again. Hmm, now thats interesting

From Israel Today: Israel could be entering the final stages
of negotiations to turn over control of Mount Zion to the Vatican,
if recent reports by Israel National News are to be believed.
According to the online news source, a secretive meeting took
place this week between the Jerusalem Municipality, Prime Ministers
Office, Ministry of Tourism and senior Catholic officials.

During the meeting, the Catholic delegation reportedly pressed
Israel to follow through on a years-old proposal to give the
Church control over the compound that houses the traditional
Hall of the Last Supper.

The problem is that the same compound also houses the traditional
Tomb of David, a holy site revered and frequented
by religious Jews. Not to mention that Mount Zion is symbolic
of Jerusalem as a whole, and surrendering it to the Vatican would
be seen by many Israelis as a repudiation of Judaisms claim
to the city.

In response to reports regarding the negotiations, the Jerusalem
Municipality released a statement insisting that it would remain
the central sovereign power on Mount Zion. Others
are not so sure, and believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
intends to turn over control of Mount Zion prior to Pope Francis
visit to the Holy Land in May. source  Israel Today. Continued:
http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/blog/?p=16781

-----

NORWAY AND SWEDEN'S MAJOR BANKS BOYCOTT ISRAELI BANK

KERRY RESORTS TO BOYCOTT THREATS TO MAKE ISRAEL ACCEPT FRAMEWORK
FOR PEACE

Europe has voiced continuous criticism over Israeli construction
in occupied East Jerusalem and West Bank, and several months
ago published new guidelines which boycott Israeli entities operating
beyond the 1967 lines.

The Israeli daily Haaretz reported recently that Germany
is conditioning research support and cooperation with Israel
on the exclusion of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and
the West Bank.

The Walla report comes on the same day that US Secretary
of State John Kerry threatened Israel that a failure in the peace
talks would lead to global boycotts and delegitimization of Israel.

Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett responded to Kerrys
threats by saying that Israel will never submit to economic threats.

I want to clarify to all those giving advice: the country
has yet to be born that will give up its land because of economic
threats, and we wont either, stated Bennett, who
heads the pro-settler Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home) party. Only
security will bring financial stability, not a terror state next
to the Ben Gurion Airport.

Another senior Israeli official accused Kerry of being biased
against Israel in his efforts to secure a peace deal with the
Palestinians.

The anonymous official told the Israel Radio that He
is adopting a one-sided stance and isnt putting any pressure
on (Palestinian President) Mahmoud Abbas.

He grinds and pressures Israel, while Abbas hasnt
moved his stance one millimeter. This pressure, the official
added, erodes Israels negotiation position before a framework
agreement has even been formulated and put forward.

Kerry has paid several trips to the region this year, initially
expressing confidence that a permanent peace accord, providing
for a Palestinian state alongside Israel, could be wrapped up
by the end of April. More recently, he has been pushing the less
ambitious framework idea.

The goal is for the framework, or series of guidelines, to
address all core issues, including borders between Israel and
a future Palestinian state, Palestinian refugees and conflicting
claims to the holy city of Jerusalem.

http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=63083

-----

'DIVINE WRATH OF GOD, THREAT ON KERRY'S HEAD
'Severe heavenly punishment' if he doesn't change course
Published: 02/05/2014 at 7:55 PM - Joe Kovacs - U.S. Secretary
of State John Kerry is now being warned hes risking the
divine wrath of God if he continues plans for Israel that some
feel is a war against the Almighty.

By the power of our Holy Torah, we admonish you to
cease immediately all efforts to achieve these disastrous agreements
 in order to avoid severe Heavenly punishment for everyone
involved, a group of Israeli rabbis wrote Kerry in a letter
on Sunday.

According to Israel National News, rabbis from the Committee
to Save the Land and People of Israel are warning Kerry about
his antagonism of the Jewish state, sharply criticizing
him for plans to establish an Arab capital in Jerusalem
for Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, and to have
Israel withdraw to the 1949 Armistice lines.

Over the weekend, Kerry threatened Israel with an international
boycott if peace talks fail.

Your incessant efforts to expropriate integral parts
of our Holy Land and hand them over to Abbas terrorist
gang, amount to a declaration of war against the Creator and
Ruler of the universe. For G-d awarded the entire Land of Israel
to our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in order that they
bequeath it, as an everlasting inheritance, to their descendants,
the Jewish people, until the end of all time, the rabbis
letter opens.

The message was signed by Rabbi Gedalya Axelrod, emeritus
head of the Haifa Rabbinical Court, Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, chairman
of the Temple Institute, Rabbi Ben Tziyon Grossman of Migdal
Haemek, Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo, dean of the Institute for the
Complete Code of Maimonides, and Rabbi Yigal Pizam, dean of Yeshivat
Kiryat Shmuel.

The rabbis slammed Kerrys plan to immediately uproot
20 percent of the Jews now living productively in Judea,
Samaria and the Jordan valley, warning of the imminent
security threat for Israelis, and reminding him how similar uprooting
of Jewish residents in Gaza turned that region into a launching
pad for Islamic rockets. Continued:

TEHRAN (FNA - Fars news agency)- Senior Iranian Navy commanders
announced on Saturday that the country has sent several fleets
of warships to the US maritime borders.

"The Iranian Army's naval fleets have already started
their voyage towards the Atlantic Ocean via the waters near South
Africa," Commander of Iran's Northern Navy Fleet Admiral
Afshin Rezayee Haddad announced on Saturday.

The admiral, who is also the commander of the Iranian Army's
4th Naval Zone said, "Iran's military fleet is approaching
the United States' maritime borders, and this move has a message."
Continued: http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=63133

-----

VATICAN TO FINANCE RENOVATION OF NATIVITY CHURCH

Vatican to Finance Renovation of Nativity Church http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=24390

BETHLEHEM, February 20, 2014 (WAFA - PLO news agency) 
Palestine and the Pontifical Mission in Jerusalem Thursday signed
a $500,000 agreement for the restoration of the Church of Nativity
in Bethlehem.

Ziad Bandak, who heads the presidential committee overseeing
the church renovation, signed the agreement with Sami Yousef,
the regional director of the Pontifical Mission.

The agreement is signed to secure another financial
contribution for the Church of the Nativity Restoration Fund,
said Bandak. We have been offered pledges to receive more
financial contributions in order to carry the restoration process
that approximately requires $20 million.

Bandak noted that his committee has so far secured approximately
$6 million for the restoration, adding that President Mahmoud
Abbas is personally following up on the restoration process.

The Palestinian Authority offered $1 million in 2009 and
about $900,000 donation was made by the Palestinian private sector.

The support we are offering comes as part of the efforts
exerted for reinforcing the presence of the Christians, who form
a part and parcel of the Palestinian people, and safeguarding
the religious sites, in this case the Church of the Nativity,
one of the most significant churches worldwide, said Yousef.

K.F./M.S. http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=63245

-----

KING OF JORDAN: SO-CALLED "ALTERNATIVE HOMELAND"
FOR PALESTINIANS AN ILLUSION

Amman, February 23 (Petra) -- His Majesty King Abdullah II,
on Sunday, said whenever there is a serious effort towards resolving
the Palestinian issue, a talk about the so-called "alternative
homeland" is revived and stressed that "Jordan is Jordan
and Palestine is Palestine and nothing but that, not the in the
past or the future."

In a meeting with the Prime Minister, the President of the
Senate, and the Speaker of the Lower House, the President of
the Judicial Council, the President of the Constitutional Court,
and members of the permanent offices of both chambers of the
parliament, the King said he wanted to discuss this issue before
his recent visit to the United States, but chose not to "so
no one would say that after my visit to America, things have
changed and something new happened."

Commenting on the so-called "alternative homeland",
the King said: "We know how this issue has been surfacing
since 15 years, or even more, where things start in the spring
by the same group, who tense the Jordanian society, and by the
summer, people feel scared; a thing that makes me reassure them
by a speech or a press interview, but this year, unfortunately,
the talk about the so-called alternative homeland stated early."

What this group has been doing is "sedition", His
Majesty said, adding:" There are more important issues to
focus on, especially with regards to political and economic reform.
What we should do is to work as a team until we work out our
internal issues." "We know this group and if this issue
is repeated next year, we will declare who they are by name,"
King Abdullah added, calling on all citizens to respond to those
who promote the so-called alternative homeland. Continued: http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=63279

Iran is predicted to attract USD 100 billion in investment
in its energy sector over the next four years after its new model
of oil contracts takes effect, a top official says.

Mehdi Hosseini, who advises Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh
on oil contracts, made the announcement on Wednesday; three days
after Iran unveiled the draft for its new oil contract terms.

He said that Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC) has removed all
problems which have existed in the framework of oil contracts
over the past 20 years.

Iran enjoys lots of attractions for investment in the
oil sector, and therefore with the resolution of the contracts
problem, the grounds will be prepared for the renewed presence
of big oil companies in the country, said Hosseini.

Irans Oil Ministry on Sunday unveiled the draft model
of its new oil contracts aimed at drawing more foreign companies
to develop Iranian hydrocarbon reservoirs.

The IPC is replacing buy-back contracts which
are no longer attractive to foreign companies.

Continued: http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=63312

-----

NETANYAHU VOWS TOUGH LINE FOR WHITE HOUSE TALKS
By JOSEF FEDERMAN From Associated Press March 02, 2014 1:09 PM
EST
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israel's prime minister headed to Washington
on Sunday for a high-stakes meeting with President Barack Obama
about U.S.-led Mideast peace efforts, vowing to maintain a tough
line in the face of heavy international pressure to begin making
concessions to the Palestinians.

Benjamin Netanyahu's defiant tone set the stage for what
could be a difficult meeting Monday with Obama. But with the
clock ticking toward an April target date for a preliminary agreement,
the Israeli leader could soon be forced to begin laying out a
clearer vision for a future peace deal with the Palestinians.

"In recent years, the state of Israel has been under
various pressures," he said. "We have rejected them
in the face of the unprecedented storm and unrest in the region
and are maintaining stability and security. This is what has
been and what will be."

After two decades of intermittent negotiations, including
five years of deadlock following Netanyahu's return to power
in 2009, the United States relaunched peace talks between Israel
and the Palestinians last July. The sides agreed to a nine-month
target for forging a final peace deal.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has traveled to the region
more than 10 times for meetings with Netanyahu and Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas. He has also talked to them on the phone
repeatedly. But with no signs of breakthrough, Kerry has been
forced to scale back his objectives.

The initial goal of a final deal by April was later replaced
by more modest U.S. aspirations of brokering the contours of
an agreement. In recent weeks, there were expectations that Kerry
would present his own ideas for such a framework, with Abbas
and Netanyahu agreeing to continue talks for up to a year on
that basis. Continued:

Tuesday, 04 Mar 2014 06:36 AM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu will rally thousands of his countrys most passionate
U.S. advocates today after President Barack Obama coaxed him
at the White House to compromise with the Palestinians. Netanyahu
addresses the annual Washington conference of the American Israel
Public Affairs Committee as a deadline looms on U.S. Secretary
of State John Kerrys nine-month Middle East peace campaign.
Kerry is pressing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Netanyahu
to accept by April 29 a structure that would guide further negotiations.

At yesterdays meeting in the Oval Office, Netanyahu,
64, told Obama he will stand strong against criticism,
against pressure, stand strong to secure the future of the one
and only Jewish state.

Obama, 52, who visited Netanyahu and Abbas on a Middle East
tour a year ago, is inserting himself more directly into the
peace talks as Kerry hits resistance from both sides. Abbas has
been invited for his own White House meeting March 17. A week
later, Obama is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, which has leverage
over the Palestinians.

Its my belief that ultimately it is still possible
to create two states, a Jewish state of Israel and a state of
Palestine in which people are living side by side in peace and
security, Obama said. But its difficult and
it requires compromise on all sides.

Netanyahus Response: Netanyahu responded that Israel
has been doing its part and I regret to say that the Palestinians
have not. Kerry, who attended the White House meeting,
later spoke at the AIPAC conference, where he pledged U.S. military
expertise and technology to protect Israel against any threats.
Continued:

SHARON A GOY
The Cross of Bethlehem - Much of this article would make no sense
unless understanding how Ultra-Orthodox Jews define Judaism.
None of them recognizes former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
as a Jew. This explains a lot the controversy he still causes
in Israel in what probably are the last days of his life.
"Grave Doubts Regarding the Jewishness of the Prime Minister
Sharon"
The State of Israel uses the Law of Return in order to define
Jews. It adopted a unsatisfactory definition* compared to the
one used by Ultra-Orthodox Jews. The latter recognize as Jew
only someone born to a Jewish mother or that converted according
to the Halakha, the Jewish religious law.+

Ariel Sharon's parents were Shmuel Scheinerman (18961956)
of Brest-Litovsk and Vera Scheinerman (19001988) from Mogilev,
both locations are nowadays in Belarus; yet, they met in Georgia
after they fled WWI.

His father was Jewish. One of the reasons for the maiden
surname of his mother not being in the public domain is that
she was not Jewish, she was a Subbotnik. Most followers of this
Russian Christian sect practice circumcision, do not recognize
the New Testament, and observe Sabbath on Saturday. Their name
is derived from the Russian name for Saturday. http://www.roitov.com

PALESTINE - ISRAEL SURPRISE AGREEMENT

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the
ungodlyPsalms 1:1

The Cross of Bethlehem - The rapid developments that led
to the peace agreement with Egypt and the Oslo Agreement that
created the Palestinian Authority were surprises which were looked
with skepticism. There is a good reason for the secrecy; early
publication can damage sensitive negotiations. "Hey! Why
did you publish that I will give Sinai back? Settlers are killing
me. Now I give nothing!"

Uri Orbakh (also transliterated Orbach)
The Oslo Accords

In recent months, US Secretary of State Kerry is carrying
an intensive effort to reach a permanent peace agreement between
Israel and Palestine. Also now, there is a lot of skepticism.
Also now, an agreement looks impossible. Is something serious
being prepared?

Until yesterday, it looked that Netanyahu was playing a delay
game. "Lets keep talking until Israel splits the West
Bank with settlements and Palestine becomes a non-viable State,"
was the easiest explanation to Israels odd moves in recent
years.

On February 9, two government ministers exchanged odd words
on the issue while speaking publicly on an amendment to the State
Education Law. Assuming it was a decoy, I stored the news item.
I didnt realize that Palestine will make an unrelated but
supporting statement on the following day. Both events hinted
at a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine. Is this a
bluff?

In for a surprise

Tzipi Livni
The Oslo Accords
On Sunday, the Ministers' Legislation Committee* met to decide
on an amendment to State Education Law requiring focus on Israel
as Jewish state; the proposed line was : "Educating for
the value of the State of Israel as the national state of the
Jewish people." The amendment was approved, though not without
a fierce discussion. Two ministers, Justice Livni and Pensioners
Affairs Orbakh exchanged fascinating words:

Orbach: "For us, it is clear that Israel is the Jewish
national state, which the Palestinians will never accept."

Livni: "Wait, you're in for a surprise. What if they
would be willing to acknowledge us as the national state for
the Jews, would you be willing to divide the land then?"

Orbakh: "Even without recognition I would be willing
to do that." Continued: http://www.roitov.com/articles/dahaniya.htm

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report February 11, 2014, 9:23 AM (IST)
Binyamin Netanyahu and Ambassador Ron Dermer Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu has informed the White House in Washington and US Secretary
of State John Kerry of his acceptance in principle of the US
framework document - subject to the reservations he has raised
with US Special Envoy Martin Indyk, debkafiles exclusive
Washington sources report.

This step was followed by news that the prime minister would
call on President Barack Obama in the first week of March during
his next visit to Washington.
It was also the background to Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermers
defense of the US Secretary in an interview published in TIME
Magazine Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Kerrys comment about boycott and international isolation
hanging over Israel if his peace mission failed was denounced
in Jerusalem as attempted intimidation. However, Dermer let him
off the hook by saying: I think he was making a descriptive
statement. I dont think he was doing it in order to pressure
Israel.
By overstating the ambassadors role as Bibis
brain, TIME was hinting that Dermers comment represented
the prime ministers current thinking on the incident. http://www.debka.com/article/23668/Netanyahu-accepts-

OBAMA'S 'BIG BREAKTHROUGH' COMING BY END OF YEAR
Leaked: Official declaration of Palestinian state
Published: 6 hours ago Aaron Klein WND - U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry

TEL AVIV  The Palestinian Authority received a pledge
from the U.S. that by the end of 2014, the Obama administration
will issue an official written declaration presenting general
highlights of a future Palestinian state, a senior Palestinian
negotiator told WND.

The negotiator further said the goal is to have the general
framework for a deal ironed out by April.

The current framework for an Israeli-Palestinian agreement
being brokered by Secretary of State John Kerry calls for the
phased implementation of more Palestinian sovereignty within
three to five years, the negotiator said.

As part of the written declaration, the U.S. is set to officially
recognize Palestinian rights in eastern sections of Jerusalem,
without defining the exact territories that would be eventually
handed to the PA.

The U.S. will declare on paper that the Jordan Valley territory
is occupied by Israel and that Palestinians have
rights there, the negotiator said. Kerry is currently discussing
a proposal in which Israel would lease some of the Jordan Valley
from the PA so some Israeli communities in the area can stay,
said the negotiator.

The written framework will also declare the West Bank occupied,
according to the negotiator. Continued: http://www.wnd.com/2014/02/obamas-big-breakthrough-coming-by-end-of-year

-----

KERRY AGAIN THREATENS INTERNATIONAL BOYCOTT IF ISRAEL DOES
NOT GIVE UP PART OF THE HOLY LAND IN EXCHANGE FOR PEACE WITH
THE PALESTINIANS

Several days ago, Secretary of State John Kerry issued a
not-so-subtle indirect threat when he said that Israel could
face an international boycott if its leaders refuse to give up
part of the Holy Land in exchange for peace with the Palestinians.
Yuval Steinitz, Israels minister of strategic affairs,
answered Kerrys statement in no uncertain terms: Israel
cannot be expected to negotiate with a gun to its head.
The Obama/Kerry tactics for brokering peace in the Middle East
are misguided, inept, and downright dangerous. Please see my
important update below on the United States increasingly
adversarial posture toward Israel  Mat.
President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry both
declare themselves to be friends of Israel. But as Israeli leaders
point out, their actions often tell a different story. According
to the Washington Post, Secretary Kerry warned that Israels
refusal to give up land for peace and the ultimate failure of
peace talks would
 incite Israels critics, who are pushing for
boycotts against Israeli products and institutions in a campaign
to isolate and pressure the country to end its occupation of
the West Bank
Todays status quo absolutely, to a certainty, I promise
you 100 percent, cannot be maintained. Its not sustainable.
Its illusionary. Theres a momentary prosperity, theres
a momentary peace.
Israeli economic minister Naftali Bennett, the third-most-powerful
figure in the coalition government, attacked Kerry for his linkage
of peace and sanctions. We expect our friends around the
world to stand beside us, against anti-Semitic boycott efforts
targeting Israel, and not to be their trumpet.
The parliamentarian Tzipi Hotovely said, Kerrys unprecedented
threats of a boycott are an attempt to terrorize Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that attempts to
impose a boycott on the State of Israel are immoral and unjust
and would not succeed. Netanyahu warned that the boycott threats
cause the Palestinians to adhere to their intransigent
positions and thus push peace further away.
John Kerrys warning of boycotts demonstrates
yet again how the Obama administrations misguided Middle
East policies are having an anti-Semitic ripple effect in the
world community. Such ill-advised tactics give the impression
that the U.S. no longer has Israels back. http://www.libertyaction.org

Yet another banker has committed suicide, with a JP Morgan
forex trader leaping to his death from the top of the firms
Chater House headquarters in Hong Kong.

Image: Man pictured before his suicide (SCMP). Over the past
few weeks at least seven bankers have died under mysterious circumstances,
including another JP Morgan senior manager who jumped off the
top of a skyscraper in London last month. Speculation is rife
that the series of deaths are connected to some kind of looming
financial crisis or a huge legal case targeting bankers for malfeasance,
although no definite link has been established.

Eyewitnesses said that the man, who was in his 30's, accessed
the roof of the 30 story office tower and jumped, with police
on the scene failing to talk him out of committing suicide. Chater
House is JP Morgans main regional Asian office.

According to several JP Morgan employees, the man was
a forex trader with the company, reports the South China
Morning Post, adding that his name was Li Junjie. The bank itself
refused to confirm that the man was an employee.

Junjie becomes the 7th banker to suddenly die in recent weeks.
Questions as to whether the deaths are merely a coincidence or
are linked to some as yet unknown factor continue to swirl.

- On January 26, former Deutsche Bank executive Broeksmit
was found dead at his South Kensington home after police responded
to reports of a man found hanging at a house. According to reports,
Broeksmit had close ties to co-chief executive Anshu Jain.

- Gabriel Magee, a 39-year-old senior manager at JP Morgans
European headquarters, jumped 500ft from the top of the banks
headquarters in central London on January 27, landing on an adjacent
9 story roof.

- Mike Dueker, the chief economist at Russell Investments,
fell down a 50 foot embankment in what police are describing
as a suicide. He was reported missing on January 29 by friends,
who said he had been having problems at work.

- Richard Talley, 57, founder of American Title Services
in Centennial, Colorado, was also found dead earlier this month
after apparentlyshooting himself with a nail gun.

Millions of Americans tuned in to watch Bill Nye The
Science Guy and Creation Museum Founder Ken Ham debate
creationism vs. evolution as a viable explanation for the origins
of mankind. But on March 28 a new voice will speak out on the
subject after being silent for more than 4,000 years: Noah, the
Ark builder.

Thanks to some Hollywood special effects and the acting of
Academy Award-winner Russell Crowe, Noah will be
giving movie audiences a stirring lecture on the subject of what
came first, the chicken or the dinosaur egg.

Only instead of backing Nyes theory of random evolution
or Hams insistence on Gods six-day creation, director
Darren Aronofskys Noah is going to push for
one of the compromise positions that have sprung up as many people
have attempted to reconcile the biblical account with Charles
Darwins theories on the origin of the worlds species.

A copy of the films original screenplay obtained by
WND reveals a scene in the film where Noah explains
to his family how all of creation came to pass. Continued: http://www.wnd.com/2014/02/famous-voice-

joins-creation-vs-evolution-debate

-----

'UN RINGS IN 'THE YEAR OF PALESTINE' : PASSING SIX RESOLUTIONS
CONDEMNING ISRAEL: Jerusalem Post, Reuters - Friday marks one-year
anniversary of the vote to upgrade the Palestinian Mission to
the UNs status to non-member observer state.
The UN General Assembly passed six more resolutions concerning
Israel recently. These include: calling for Israel to return
the Golan Heights to Syria. Of the six resolutions one said Israel
should cease imposing its jurisdiction on Jerusalem and another
one, labeled 68/L.12, declared 2014 the International Year
of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

This resolution calls on the Committee on the Exercise of
the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People to organize
activities to be held during the year. Of the other three
resolutions, one praised the Secretariats Division of Palestinian
Rights for its role in raising international awareness
of the question of Palestine; the second called for a peaceful
settlement to the conflict and said that Israel, as the
Occupying Power, must comply strictly with its obligations
under international law, and the third advocated for the
dissemination of information on all the activities of the
United Nations system relating to the question of Palestine and
the peace process.

UN Watch president Hillel Neuer said, Were concerned
about a new year that will bring escalated politicization of
influential UN agencies worldwide, doing nothing to help Palestinians
or Israelis on the ground, while inflicting yet further damage
to the world bodys effectiveness and credibility.The UNs
drumbeat of excessive, disproportionate and one-sided condemnations
of Israel causes polarization, threatens to push the parties
further apart and is counterproductive to the already fragile
peace process. Source: Hollis Caravetta E-mail: Holliscar@aol.com

-----

WHY IS ISRAEL INVOLVED IN THE UKRAINE CONFLICT?

On February 2014, the war between Russia and Europe over
the control of Ukraine reached a boiling point. The pro-Russian
president escaped and now there is turmoil. On February 28, Russian
forces appeared in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a 1954
gift from Russia to Ukraine, in the days when both were united
under the USSR.[...}

It was an attempt to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
What is happening to Israeli and Jewish organizations in Ukraine?
Are they pro-Russia or pro-Europe?

"Have you read the latest on Iran? Don't ask about Ukraine!
The BBC had said everything that was needed to be said"
was the attitude.

In other words, "We are involved, do not spoil the party."

In the shifting geopolitics of this decade, Israel found
itself struggling against sanctions imposed by the European Union
on products from the West Bank.*

Europe is the main market of Israeli exports. The annexation
of Ukraine by the EU would mean a further weakening of the Israeli
position.

Not for the first time, Israel and Russia found themselves
on the same side of a conflict. One of the oddest signs was the
emphasis that was given to the claim that the forces in the Crimea
did not belong to the Russian Army but were mercenaries of unclear
allegiances.

Did they mean that they were like the Syrian Free Army composed
by Western et al. paid mercenaries? This was not explained, but
it looks like a clear attempt to buy time for Russian authorities.
"I can't comment now, I must check whom these mercenaries
are being paid by." Whole article: http://www.roitov.com/articles/ukraine.htm

-----

ULTRA-ORTHODOX JEWS PROTEST IN ISRAEL
Hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews rally in a massive
show of force against plans to force them to serve in the Israeli
military, blocking roads and paralyzing the city of Jerusalem,
Sunday, March 2, 2014. The widespread opposition to the compulsory
draft poses a challenge to the country, which is grappling with
a cultural war over the place of the ultra-Orthodox in Israeli
society. With secular Jews required to serve, the issue is one
of the most sensitive flashpoints between Israel's secular majority
and its devout minority. (AP Photo - Oded Balilty)
JERUSALEM (AP) March 02, 2014 1:21 PM EST  Clad in traditional
black suits and hats, hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox
Jews have rallied in Jerusalem, protesting a bill that would
see members of the community drafted into Israel's armed forces.

Police say Sunday's protest saw some 300,000 ultra-Orthodox
Jews march through the streets. Some carried the Torah as loudspeakers
blared prayers. Women and children also took part, with a major
thoroughfare in Jerusalem closed so ultra-Orthodox women could
gather in accordance with the community's strict separation of
the sexes.

Since Israel's founding in 1948, the ultra-Orthodox, who
make up about 8 percent of Israel's 8 million citizens, largely
have been allowed to avoid military service, compulsory for most
Jewish men, to pursue their religious studies. The draft bill
would require the army to draft an increasing number of ultra-Orthodox
Jews each year, with the goal of enlisting 5,200 ultra-Orthodox
soldiers  roughly 60 percent of those of draft age 
by mid-2017.

MK: PLANS FOR MASS ALIYAH FROM UKRAINE UNDERWAY
Arutz Sheva speaks with MK Rina Frenkel on the status of Ukrainian
Jewry and her push to bring them to Israel en masse. By Tova
Dvorin - First Publish: 3/3/2014, 10:09 PM

Arutz Sheva spoke to MK Rina Frenkel (Yesh Atid) Monday about
the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and the devastating effect the
unrest has had on the Jewish community. Frenkel made Aliyah from
the embattled country in 1990 and has been advocating on the
Ukrainian Jewish community's behalf for the Israeli government
to intervene in the crisis.

"We are aware of a terrible situation unfolding there,"
Frenkel noted. She receives updates on the crisis from a friend
of her son's; the contact has described attacks and accusations
being leveled at Jews on a regular basis. Among other things,
Frankel has been notified that a grenade has been lobbed into
a synagogue, a hareidi man assaulted on his way home from synagogue
on Shabbat, and anti-Semitic graffiti has cropped up in several
places.

"[Ukrainian] Jews are afraid," Frenkel summarized.
"The situation does not allow them to move freely."

Frenkel has turned to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu more
than once over the past several weeks, pleading for the Israeli
government to bring the community in on a mass Aliyah mission.

On Monday, the MK noted that the beginning of such a plan
is being formed, and that the planning process is to include
the inter-Ministerial Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry
of Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry
of Absorption to allow shorten the bureaucratic process for Ukrainian
Aliyah.

"We neet to extend a hand and speed the process for
anyone who wants to make Aliyah from Ukraine," Frenkel stated.
The MK stressed that she does not intend to persuade the community
to make Aliyah, per se, but rather to merely ease the process
for those who already wish to do so.

Recent reports indicated that extremists have been targeting
the Jewish community in Ukraine, and that the extremists include
a member of the opposition. A synagogue was firebombed last week
by unknown assailants in the embattled country; at least one
synagogue in Crimea has also been defaced.

I bring you greetings from Jerusalem the eternal, undivided
capital of Israel and the Jewish people

I want to thank all of you for working so tirelessly to strengthen
the alliance between Israel and America.

American - American support for Israel and for that alliance
is at an all-time high. And I can tell you that there is no country
on earth that is more pro-American than Israel

So I want to thank the leaders of AIPAC, the officers of
AIPAC, the 14,000 delegates of AIPAC the members of Congress,
the members of the Israeli government -- Tzipi Livni, Limor Livnat,
Yuval Steinitz, Deputy Minister Elkin, members of the Knesset
-- and our two able ambassadors, the ambassador of Israel to
the United States, Ron Dermer and the ambassador of the United
States to Israel, Dan Shapiro, and our U.N. ambassador, Ron Prosor.
Everyone, I want to thank you all for safeguarding and nurturing
the most precious alliance in the world, the alliance between
Israel and the United States of America.

My friends, I've -- I've come here to draw a clear line.

You know that I like to draw lines -- (laughter) -- especially
red ones. But the line I want to draw today is the line between
life and death, between right and wrong, between the blessings
of a brilliant future and the curses of a dark past. Continued:
http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=63350

-----

PALESTINIAN SOURCES SAY FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED
IN WASHINGTON

Ramallah and Cairo, Asharq Al-AwsatThe PalestinianIsraeli
peace process is expected to enter a critical phase this week,
with President Obama expected to attempt to persuade the two
parties to reach an agreement on an interim framework for talks
drawn up by the US.

Obama will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
on Monday and is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas on March 17.

Netanyahu left for Washington on Saturday for the meeting
with Obama, who is trying to persuade both leaders to sign a
framework agreement which is being formulated by US Secretary
of State John Kerry in a bid to launch talks for a final settlement,
using the framework agreement as a reference for contested issues.

Palestinian sources, speaking on condition of anonymity,
told Asharq Al-Awsat: This time Obama will intervene strongly
and directly and will pressure Netanyahu and Abbas to accept
the framework agreement.

The sources added that the agreement is expected to include
a clause on a capital of a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem,
in return for Palestinian concessions in other issues related
to borders and refugees.

The issues of borders, refugees, settlements and water resources
are expected to be included in appendices to the agreement which
will be discussed by joint committees. The issue of the Jewish
identity of Israel, which Netanyahus government insists
must be recognized, is categorically rejected by the Palestinians,
according to the sources.

The sources added: If Obama succeeded in persuading
Netanyahu and Abbas to make concessions on the framework agreement,
he would announce a date to sign the agreement in Washington,
in his presence.

Israeli sources revealed that Obama will ask Netanyahu and
Abbas about their future plans in case of the failure of the
negotiations, and will give them the option to cooperate with
the American plan, or face isolation and live with the difficult
reality which awaits them if the US abandoned the peace process.

Netanyahu continues to insist on Palestinian recognition
of the Jewish identity of the state of Israel, and the presence
of Israeli troops in the Jordan Valley, as well as rejecting
the division of Jerusalem. Netanyahu also wants to adjust West
Bank borders to integrate large Israeli settlements into Israeli
territory, and rejects the return of refugees.

Palestinians insist on the sharing Jerusalem and refuse to
recognize Israel as a Jewish statewhich they see as precluding
any return of Palestinian refugees to what is now Israeli territoryand
also insist on the removal of all Israeli forces from the Jordan
Valley.

It is likely that Obamas efforts will be focused on
Jerusalem and a declaration of the Jewish identity of Israel,
in order to find a compromise.

Senior Palestinian sources, speaking on condition of anonymity,
told Asharq Al-Awsat that the way to resolve the crisis would
be to announce that Jerusalem was the capital of both states,
with an indication to Israels right to acquire international
recognition as a Jewish state, which would implicitly also mean
the recognition of the state of Palestine.
Continued: http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=63332

-----

MOUSSA DEMANDS EASTERN JERUSALEM BE INTERNATIONAL CITY OR
PALESTINE'S CAPITAL

Amr Moussa, chief of the 50-member constitutional panel and
former Chief of Arab League, has called that Eastern Jerusalem
become an international city with no supervision from any country
or that it become capital of the autonomous Palestinian state.

Moussa added that the Arab and international stance regarding
Jerusalem is undivided and resilient. The occupied Jerusalem
is an Arab (Islamic-Christian) city with its Aqsa mosque, church,
streets, buildings and residents.

In a statement on Tuesday, Moussa added that the Jordanian
Kingdom is authorized to take care of holy sites and that the
Israeli maneuvers have become a new challenge to international
legitimacy.

Israel always claims Jerusalem to be its eternal capital,
while the Palestinian Authority has sought to establish the country
of Palestine with its capital of Eastern Jerusalem. http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=63352

-----

FIRST INSTALLMENT TO GET NUCLEAR DEAL WITH IRAN

The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday[3 Feb.] confirmed
that it has allowed the transfer of $550 million in Irans
frozen oil revenues to the country under an interim nuclear deal.

A U.S. Treasury spokeswoman said the transfer began Jan.
31 and would be complete early this week but declined to specify
which foreign banks were involved.

No U.S. banks were involved in the transactions, but the
United States, which has extensive sanctions on Iran tied to
its disputed nuclear program, helped facilitate the transfer
of funds, the spokeswoman said.

The money is the first installment of $4.2 billion in blocked
oil funds that were to be made available to Iran under the nuclear
deal signed in November. Iran received limited sanctions relief
in exchange for agreeing to curb its nuclear activities. http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=63083

-----

BARACK OBAMA TO SEEK NETANYAHU BACKING FOR PEACE FRAMEWORK
March 03, 2014, 17:52 - Washington: US President Barack Obama
will on Monday try to cajole Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a US
framework for final peace talks with the Palestinians, but the
Israeli leader is vowing to resist all "pressures.

Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu will also discuss Iranian
nuclear diplomacy, but likely struggle to reconcile differing
views after Israel blasted an interim pact with Tehran reached
last year as a bad deal.

Unusually, Netanyahu will not be the centre of attention
in Washington, where his visits to the White House have sometimes
featured public disagreements with Obama and testy photo ops.

Obama is now consumed by Russia's incursion into Ukraine,
which is developing into the biggest transatlantic crisis since
the end of the Cold War.

In their Oval Office talks today, the US leader will ask
Netanyahu to agree to a framework for a conclusive round of peace
talks with the Palestinians pieced together by Secretary of State
John Kerry.

Washington had previously set an April 29 deadline for a
final status agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, but
the framework is designed as an attempt to extend the diplomacy.

It will be Obama's most significant entry into peacemaking
after his first term effort ended when Netanyahu refused to extend
a freeze in settlement construction which Palestinians said was
a condition for resuming direct talks.

"There's a sense that the negotiations have reached
a point where only presidential engagement, direct presidential
engagement, can move them forward," said Haim Malka, of
the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The framework, yet to be made public, addresses the most
nettlesome issues surrounding the Palestinian drive for statehood,
including borders, security and the future status of Jerusalem.

Obama will make a similar plea for Palestinian leader Mahmud
Abbas to accept the document when he visits the White House in
two weeks time.

The President said in an interview with Bloomberg View columnist
Jeffrey Goldberg that he would tell Netanyahu that time was running
out for Israel to follow the peace track.

"If not now, when? And if not you, Mr Prime Minister,
then who?" Obama said, paraphrasing his appeal to Netanyahu.

If Netanyahu "does not believe that a peace deal with
the Palestinians is the right thing to do for Israel, then he
needs to articulate an alternative approach," Obama said
in the interview, according to a transcript sent by the White
House.

Jerusalem Watchman - Posted by Stan in Battle for the land,
Israel and the Gentiles

[...] Over the years he has been in office, my observations
of Prime Minister Netanyahu have led me to assess him as the
best man for the job and, more importantly, that he was appointed
to this position for such a time as this.